Can-opener



(N0 Modl.)

R.-B.PUMPHREY.

CAN OPENER. No. 268,281. Patentedflov. 28, 18821.

NITED STATES PATENT" OFFICE.

ROBERT B. PUMPEIREY, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

CAN-OPENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 268,281, dated November 28, 1882.

Application filed July 1, 1881. Renewed September 21, 188-2. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT B. PUMPHREY, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Baltimore, in the county of Baltimore and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in (Jan-Openers; and I do hereby declare the following to he a full, clear, and exact description of the .inventiou, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or'figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention has forits object to provide an implement for opening sheet-metal cans, such as are employed for the preservation of fruit, vegetables, and meat.

in opening square canssuch as contain cooked meat, now so largely sold-the entire end should be removed, or at least three sides must bc'cut. The cuts in such cases are made in stra ght lines, and when the implement opel ates by cutting before the hand-that is, by moving forward, or, in other words, when the hand follows the implementthere is a liability of the hand being injured by the cut edges which project upward and have numerous ragged and sharp points. I have therefore devised a can-opener which cuts the sheet metal when moved after the hand.

In the drawings hereto annexed, Figure 1 is a view of the can-opener. Fig. 2 is a crosssection through theline 00.11;. Fig. 3 shows its position when cutting a can.

The letter A designates the shank, which may be of any approved shape. A suitable handle, B, is attached to one end of the shank, and at the other end the cutter-head is either formed or attached-that is, it may be integral with the shank, as in the present example, or may be a separable device. I prefer to make the cutter-head, cutter, and shank of cast-steel. In carrying this out, the end of the flat steel bar A, which constitutes the shank, forms a curve, as shown at 0. The head part D projects for a short distance and then curves at d,'or is doubled back on itself in an opposite direction to that of the curves '0, and terminates in a point, e, which projects beyond the line formed by the straight edge a. of the shank.

The cutter consists of the inner curved edge, f, which confronts the curve 0, and extends from the doubled-back curve d to the point e. The cutting-edge sets toward the handle, and its curved line is eccentric with the handle. The curve 0, which faces the curved cuttingedge, has a shorter radius'than the latter, and said curve 0 has a flat face, as seen in Fig. 2, and constitutes a fulcrum which rests upon the outer surface of the can to be cut, as seen in Fig. 3. The outer edge of the cutter, at its extreme pointf, is sharpened for a space in practice extending about three-eighths of an inch. The cutter is first entered through the metal wall of the can by pressing this part of the outer edge against it, and then, with the curve or fulcrum cresting on the top or outer surface of the can, the cut is made by working the handle up and down. When the handle is raised the cutter takes position below the surface, and when the handle is depressed the cutter is brought up from below and cuts the sheet metal. The whole device is then moved forward when raising the handle for another cut. A guide, consistingof a depending flange, g, on the outer edge of the curved race or fulcrum, serves to keep the cutter in line with the edge of the can.

Having described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patentot' the United St;it-es- A can-opener having a shank, A, a handle, B, attached to one end of the shank, a curve, 0, at the other end of the shank to form afulcrum, and a cutter whose edgefconfronts the curved fulcrum and sets toward the hand of the operator, whereby the implement cuts the sheet metal when following the movement of the hand, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT B. PUMPHREY.

,Wit-nesses OHAs. B. MANN, JNo. T. MADDOX. 

